FRHSD food servers, new provider to talk jobs

ENGLISHTOWN – Talks between food service workers and the district’s new food provider, Pomptonian Food Service, are expected to begin this week, according to their union representative.

“It’s a tough battle. Everyone has to go back and negotiate,” said John Edmunds, who represents 70 workers who were left without jobs when Sodexo opted not to return to the district at the end of the 2013-14 school year. Sodexo had provided Freehold Regional High School district food services since 2004.

Edmunds is hoping Pomptonian will honor the workers’ previous contracts with Sodexo. They were paid hourly wages and qualified for health care benefits if they worked 30 hours a week.

He said when Sodexo took over in 2004, they honored the workers’ contracts with Chartwells, the previous provider.

Many of the workers are mothers with children in the district.

The district approved Pomptonian as its new provider last week after reviewing three companies that submitted bids in the spring. Sodexo did not submit a proposal.

Pomptonian currently serves the Manalapan-Englishtown Middle School, as well as cafeterias and vending operations in close to 331 primary and secondary schools across the state.

“We expect that their union (food service workers’) and Pomptonian will negotiate in good faith,” said Sean Boyce, the district’sassistant superintendent for business administration.

Pomptonian did not immediately return a phone call.

Boyce said the district’s request for proposals recommended that every worker have an opportunity to be considered for employment by the new provider, but the district is not privy to the contracts between the parties.

Pomptonian has a one-year contract with four renewal options for the next four years. However, the state requires schools to put public contracts out to bid every five years in order to keep the prices competitive, Boyce said.

Dan Radel:

732-643-4072; dradel@app.com

ABOUT THE DISTRICT

Freehold Regional High School District has six high schools that serve about 12,000 students from Colts Neck, Englishtown, Farmingdale, Freehold, Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro.